Determined Tonbridge schoolgirl on a clean-up mission

6th July 2017

Charlotte (right) with sister Clara

A nine-year-old girl has successfully lobbied the county council to provide her with environmental equipment.

Charlotte Flower, who is a pupil at the Sussex Road Primary School in Tonbridge penned a letter to the Waste and Recycling Department at Kent County Council in June, asking for some ‘litter picker uppers’ to help her and her friends keep their school grounds clear. The note read: “I’m quite serious about the environment and want to start a litter picking club at my school.

“I’d really appreciate it as I think helping the environment is something everyone should know.”

A few days later, in a surprise visit, KCC’s waste business partnership manager Nichola Hood and Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council’s environmental projects coordinator Tamsin Ritchie arrived at the school to fulfil her wish.

They came armed with five litter pickers, a box of black sacks, mini hi-visibility jackets and 15 rubbish bag hoops, handed them over to a speechless Charlotte and her sister Clara, eight.

After receiving the equipment, Charlotte said: “I’ve seen lots of litter around the school and I’m unhappy about it. It hurts the environment and I think it’s selfish – it’s hurting people’s lives.

“I’m going to put a poster up around the school and hope people sign up and we’ll have a group of 15 of us all around the school.”